USPTO Patents Application 10567929

Application No. 10/567,929

Reply to Office Action of April 24, 2008

IN THE CLAIMS

Please amend the claims as follows:

Claim 1 (Currently amended): A photovoltaic device, comprising a composition of
carbon nanotubes and of at least one organic compound acting as a hole conductor , wherein
the band gap of said carbon nanotubes lies in the range of from about 0.5 to about 1 eV .

Claim 2 (Currently amended): The device according to claim 1, wh e r e in it further
compris e s comprising :

- a first electrode on one side of said composition of carbon nanotubes and of at least
one organic hole conductor, said first electrode having a first work function, and

- a second electrode on another side of said composition of carbon nanotubes and of
at least one organic hole conductor, said second electrode having a higher work function than
said first work function.

Claim 3 (Currently amended): The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least
one organic hole conductor is a conjugated polymer or a blend of at least two conjugated
polymers.

Claim 4 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said
carbon nanotubes are a mixture of metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes.

Claim 5 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1 ? wherein said
carbon nanotubes are a mixture of multi-walled and single-walled carbon nanotubes.

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Application No. 10/567,929

Reply to Office Action of April 24, 2008

Claim 6 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein the carbon

nanotubes have a diameter in the range of from 0.5 nm to 2 nm.

Claim 7 (Canceled).

Claim 8 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein the band
gap of said at least one hole conductor lies in the range of from about 1 eV to 3 eV.

Claim 9 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said hole
conductor is selected from the group comprising semiconducting organic materials with a
band gap above 1 eV and a 7r-orbital higher in energy than the highest occupied molecular
orbital (HOMO) of said carbon nanotubes.

Claim 10 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 1, wherein said
composition of carbon nanotubes and of at least one organic hole conductor comprises a
mixture of carbon nanotubes and at least one hole conductor.

Claim 1 1 (Currently amended): The device according to claim 1, wherein said
composition is a two-layer-system, wherein said at least one organic hole conductor is in one
layer and said carbon nanotubes are in another layer.

Claim 12 (Currently amended): The device according to claim 1, wherein said
composition is a multiple-layer-system, wherein said at least one organic hole conductor and
said carbon nanotubes are in alternating layers.

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Application No. 10/567,929

Reply to Office Action of April 24, 2008

Claim 13 (Currently amended): The device according to claim 2, wherein said

carbon nanotubes are vertical with respect to one of the electrodes hav e b e en v e rtically

grown .

Claims 14 (Canceled).

15 (Withdrawn): The device according to claim 2, wherein said carbon nanotubes
have been horizontally aligned.

Claim 16 (Currently amended): The device according to claim 1, wherein said at
least one organic hole conductor is selected from the group consisting of:
polymethacrylates and derivatives,
polyaniline and derivatives,
polyphenylene and derivatives,
polyphenylene vinylene and derivatives,
polythiophene and derivatives,

copolymers of triphenyl diamine derivatives and trimethoxyvinylsilane,

poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene: polystyrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT: PSS),

polyacetylene and derivatives thereof,

polyparaphenylene and derivatives thereof,

polypyrrole and derivatives thereof,

polyparaphenylene sulfide and derivatives thereof,

polycarbazole and derivatives thereof,

polyisothianaphene and derivatives thereof,

poly(l,6-heptadiyne) and derivatives thereof, and

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Application No. 10/567,929

Reply to Office Action of April 24, 2008

polyquinoline and derivatives thereof.

Claim 17 (Currently amended): Th e d e vic e according to claim 1, wher e in it is an An
organic solar cell comprising the device according to claim 1 .

Claim 18 (Previously presented): The device according to claim 2, wherein said first
and/or said second electrode is a film or layer of a transparent material.

Claim 19 (Withdrawn): The device according to claim 2, wherein said first or second
electrode is a metallic electrode.

Claim 20 (Currently amended): The device according to claim 2, wherein said first
and/or said second electrode is coated with an evaporated a layer of fluoride or acetate or a
combination of fluoride and acetate.

Claim 21 (Currently amended): The device according to claim 2, wherein it
additionally comprises a solid inorganic crystalline or glassy substrate, or a metal foil
substrate, preferably a stainless steel foil substrate, or a polymer substrate pr e coat e d coated
with said first or said second electrode.

Claim 22 (Currently amended): The device according to claim 1 8, wh e r e in it
additionally compris e s further comprising a flexible polymer substrate pr e coat e d coated with
said first or said second electrode.

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Application No. 10/567,929

Reply to Office Action of April 24, 2008

Claim 23 (Previously presented): A combination of the device according to claim 1

with a circuit, wherein the device acts as an internal power supply.

Claim 24 (Previously presented): A solar cell comprising the device according to
claim 1.

Claim 25 (Withdrawn): A method of generating electricity from light, wherein a
device according to claim 1 or a combination according to claim 23 is irradiated by light,
whereupon a photo-initiated charge-separation process and subsequently a charge-transport
process occurs, and wherein further electricity is recovered from said device or from said
combination.

Claim 26 (New): A method of producing the device according to claim 2, wherein the
at least one organic hole conductor is directly grown on said carbon nanotubes ("overgrown
nanotubes").

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